A police officer works on a platform near a train at the station in Arras after a gunman opened fire injuring three passengers Aug. 21, 2015. (AP Photo)

(Newser)
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Off-duty US military personnel subdued a gunman aboard a high-speed French train, stopping what some are calling a terrorist attack that could have been much worse, CBS News reports. Current reports are conflicting about whether two or three American servicemen—rumored but unconfirmed to be Marines—were involved in the incident. Fox News reports a 26-year-old Moroccan man unidentified but "known to intelligence services" opened fire as the train from Amsterdam to Paris was passing through Belgium. Three people were shot—two seriously injured—before the US servicemen could subdue the shooter. According to CBS, the suspect was armed with an automatic rifle and knife.

A French official said the US servicemen were "particularly courageous and showed great bravery," CBS reports. He said he feared the damage would have been much greater if they hadn't acted. The Belgian prime minister called the incident a "terrorist attack." The train stopped in a French town 115 miles north of Paris, and the suspect was arrested, according to Fox. "The situation is under control," the company that operates the high-speed train tweeted following the attack. The CBC reports one of the servicemen was also one of the three people injured, though that is still unclear. The motive of the shooter is currently unknown.

As a Muslim American I am extremely proud of these heroic men. I wish I was there with them, beating the crap out of this gutless coward/tool wannabe reject! These MEN not only stopped a massacre of innocent civilians but they've also stopped another Muslim bashing media frenzy which helps no one but divides us all and plays right into the hands of the extremists (or industries) on all sides who thrive and profit from chaos.